


Rejection, Flowers, Questioning, & Silence

by Kiterie



Series: 100 themes [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-20
Updated: 2008-09-02
Packaged: 2017-11-27 11:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/661219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiterie/pseuds/Kiterie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka was the one being rejected so why did Kakashi feel like it was it was him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rejection

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume..." Iruka's face flushed as he stumbled over the words. Kakashi stared at him, torn between laughing and hitting the man.

"You didn't mean to assume what exactly? That I was gay? Desperate? _Pathetic_?" He clenched his hands into a fist as he resisted the urge to plant one in the chunin's face.

"Interested, I didn't mean to assume you'd be interested." The teacher looked both surprised by his outburst and ashamed. "I'm sorry if I offended you Hatake-sama. I thought I could help, but I am truly sorry if I've offended you." Iruka bowed. The action surprised Kakashi, and he realized the other meant the apology. He sighed as Iruka rose out of his bow, his head still bent.

"Why?" The question was vague, and to be honest, he wasn't even sure what he was asking.

"Because you don't seem like yourself." Iruka continued to stare at some spot on the floor.

"So you offer yourself to everyone who happens to be in a bad mood? Or is it only to the one's you feel sorry for because they can't even hold a genin team together?" The words were out before he could get a handle on his irritation. He wondered at how the chunin could always manage to get under his skin, always push him so that he couldn't retain his cool facade of indifference. The fact irritated him more and again he twitched with the desire to bury his fist in the apologetic man's face.

"No." Iruka's tone held a certain amount of anger, surprising the copy-nin. "You know what, forget I said anything. Go find yourself a whore and get over yourself." And with that Iruka turned and stalked off down the hall. "Excuse me for assuming we were friends."

Kakashi barely caught the muttered words and he winced as his own brash stupidity slapped him in the face.


	2. Flowers

Iruka stared at the strange mismatched bouquet of wild flowers. Several still had the roots attached. The mess looked like something one of his students would have brought him, and the hopeful look on the visible part of the other man's face only amplified the effect.

"Did you need something Hatake-san?" Iruka asked, not taking the flowers held out to him.

"These are for you." The flowers moved very slightly, drawing his attention to them again.

He raised an eyebrow curiously but still didn't move to take them. "And you're giving them to me because?"

"They're very useful, especially the dandelion. Although, personally I prefer the chamomile, it makes good tea." Iruka watched as Kakashi shifted from one foot to the other. "I even saved the roots."

"Uh, yes I'm aware of their uses Kakashi-san." He could feel his irritation dissolving and frowned. "I do teach pregenin and it is something we cover. I'm not completely inept you know." The chunin's tone wasn't as harsh as he'd intended despite the words. The copy-nin had the strangest effect on him, even after being so completely insulted; Iruka found he couldn't really stay mad at the other man.

"I wasn't trying to imply...; forget it." Kakashi's hand dropped to his side and he turned to leave.

Shaking his head and sighing Iruka grabbed the older man's elbow to stop him. "Is this your rather bad attempt to apologize?" The silver-haired man stopped but didn't turn around. 'Really,' he thought, 'he has no understanding of social graces. You _don't_ give another man flowers.'

Kakashi nodded and Iruka couldn't help but smile. "You could have just said you were sorry."

If it was possible the jounin's shoulders slumped more but he did finally turn around. "It seemed... inadequate."

"And, giving me flowers didn't'?" he asked stifling his amusement.

"But Gai said..."

"You took _Gai's_ advice?" Iruka couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. "Thanks," he said finally getting himself under control again. "So, are you going to stand there crushing those poor plants or do you think maybe you'd want to come in for a cup of tea?"

Kakashi shifted and looked away before sighing and stepping inside; shoving the flowers at him. Iruka smirked but didn't mention the slight blush creeping up over Kakashi's mask.


	3. Questioning

Iruka stuck the flowers in a jar, filled it with water, and placed the strange looking bouquet on the counter. "Thank you," the brunette said, pulling out the teapot and filling it with water.

"I'm..." The jounin shifted nervously and Iruka wondered if the man had ever appologized before. "...sorry. It's just your..." he paused again, obviously considering his words "...offer caught me off guard."

"It's alright. Really, I should have known better so it was my own fault," he said, setting the water on to boil. "I mean, it's not as though it wasn't obvious; what with you carrying that damn orange book everywhere."

"I like the story," Kakashi said, leaning against the wall.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to insult your reading choices. I just meant that it should have been obvious since..." He let his words trail off as he pulled cups down.

"And, _I_ just meant that I read it because I enjoy the story and not just for the content." There was a disapproving note to statement and the chunin winced.

"I wasn't _implying_ you were a pervert," Iruka said gritting his teeth. "Can you stop assuming that I'm trying to insult you for one conversation?" He clenched the tea cup and stared fixedly at the counter, not daring to meet the other man's eyes.

"I'm not the one making the assumptions, so no." Kakashi's voice rose slightly and Iruka heard the man take a deep breath. "If you'd listen and for fuck's sake look at me you'd know that."

"I was listening!" Iruka yelled, turning to glare at the silver-haired man. "There! I'm looking at you! Are you..." His words trailed off again as he stared at Kakashi's unmasked face.

"I'm sorry, I was an ass. I assumed it was some kind of prank and that somebody had put you up to it. _And_ , I thought I was so damn clever to realize it, _so_ I said the most hurtful things I could think of." Kakashi's voice shook with anger and regret and Iruka stared dumbstruck at the man. "I didn't come here to start another fight with you, so could you _please_ stop putting words into my mouth. I assure you I'm quite capable of making an ass of myself, you don't need to do it for me. In case that wasn't already apparent."

"Oh!" Iruka blushed, embarrassed by his own stupidity. "Uh... nobody 'put me up to it,' just so you know."

"I know and I really am sorry for questioning your motives." Kakashi smiled hesitantly and Iruka felt his chest tighten at the sight. "I'd like to make it up to you if you'll let me." The chunin nodded slightly, unsure of what to say. "Over dinner then?"

"Okay..." Iruka said, still in shock. "Uh... your mask?"

Kakashi's smile grew and Iruka was amazed he managed to stay standing. "It got you to shut up didn't it?"

Iruka blushed again and turned to finish making the tea. "Oh."


	4. Silence

"The food's good. A little..." Iruka poked at the remains of his dish as though it would offer up the word he was searching for. "formal for my usual taste."

"Oh." Nothing was going according to plan and Kakashi, for once, wasn't sure what to do about it. He was normally good at thinking on his feet, changing plans at the last moment and having everything turn out alright. So, the fact that he was at a loss for what to do, bothered him. Deeply.

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to think of something to say. The conversation kept falling into odd little lulls and he was starting to realize that without Team 7 around that it was very quiet.

He hadn't been on very many dates. Rin had forcibly dragged him on two, neither of which had been particularly enjoyable. He'd avoided the things after that. Now, he had the added pressure of caring whether the person with him actually enjoyed himself.

"So..." Kakashi considered all the topics they'd already exhausted. Every one of them had fallen into the same silence for one reason or another.

"Can we just..." The chunin sighed, and glanced around the crowded restaurant. "...go?"

The walk back to Iruka's was filled with silence. It dragged on and Kakashi felt it tightening around him. Tonight was supposed to make up for things and it seemed as though he'd managed to screw up even this small thing.

Iruka's doorstep loomed in front of them and the panic rose in his throat again and he wondered how he could possibly fix things before they reached them. "Uh..." he sighed, still searching for the words he wanted. "I can't even seem to keep a conversation going unless we're fighting."

"You know, not every silence needs to be filled with words." Iruka said, stopping in front of the steps. "I enjoy your company, Kakashi. Sometimes, that's enough."

"You enjoy fighting with me?"  He frowned, scratching the back of his head nervously.

The chunin shook his head in amusement. "Would you just accept that, despite your terrible choice in restaurants, I had fun tonight? You're appology last night was enough; tonight was nice, but... strange." Iruka's smile faded and he looked away, his voice falling to nearly a whisper. "It almost felt like a date, and that was nice, albeit strange."

Kakashi swallowed nervously and slid his mask down. "Iruka..." He took a step forward as the chunin looked up. "It was a date." Leaning foward he caught the surprised man's mouth with his own, cupping the chunin's face with his hands.

When Iruka finally overcame his shock and pulled him closer, Kakashi decided it was true... not every silence needed words.


End file.
